


With The Song In My Heart

by MaliceManaged



Category: Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel (Comics)
Genre: But Loki Will Have None Of That Shit, Chance Meetings, Except when he doesn't, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Geeks are sexy, Hiding, I don't know what else to tag, Loki Knows What He's Doing, References galore, Running, Self-Esteem Issues, Video Games Are A Great Way To Bond, past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-05-10 23:46:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5605597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day Melody met Loki was the day she ceased to question anything. It was really the only way anything made sense anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    The day Melody met Loki was the day she ceased to question anything. It was really the only way anything made sense anymore.

 

    She’d woken up after pulling an all-nighter at work to a call from her cousin telling her to pretty herself up for a lunch date, and had somehow managed to keep the irritation over it out of her voice. Melody loved her cousin, but the woman had the very annoying habit of setting her up on blind dates that always ended badly; she meant well but their taste in men was just too drastically different. Still, she didn’t want to hurt her feelings and ended up agreeing as usual.

 

    She dragged herself out of bed and, trying to keep her long mess of dark curls out of her grey eyes, more-or-less stumbled into her bathroom to shower. She stood under the spray for a good twenty minutes after she was clean, letting the warm water run down her tan skin, absently running a hand over the large burn scar on her right hip. It had been years since she’d gotten it and while she was used to it by now, it still made her feel self-conscious.

 

    Snapping out of her thoughts, Melody turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying herself quickly before going back to her room to get dressed. The weather was surprisingly mild that day for late autumn so she settled on a royal blue babydoll dress with grey leggings and a light grey clutch coat; grabbing her worn tanned-leather messenger bag (it had been a gift from her dad and she never left the house without it), she walked to the front door and, pulling on her favourite dark brown riding boots, grabbed her keys and left the house.

 

    She had been halfway to the café her date was in when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that someone seemed to be walking straight for her. Turning her head to look, she saw it was a man; pretty tall - or at least taller than her - with black hair, dressed mostly in green with a weird, horned... forehead... thing. She stopped walking as he reached her and looked up into a pair of somewhat nervous-looking bright green eyes.

 

    “Hi... uh... I’d like to apologise in advance for this,” He said a bit awkwardly.

 

    “What?” Melody asked confusedly.

 

    And then he leaned down, cupping her cheek with one hand and placing the other at the small of her back to pull her towards him, and kissed her.

 

    For a moment Melody simply blinked, completely and utterly bewildered; and then she mentally shrugged, closed her eyes and kissed him back.

 

    Hey; he was cute.

 

    When they parted she blushed and spoke somewhat breathlessly. “Apology accepted.”

 

    Loki grinned a bit before remembering the reason he’d kissed her. “I’m going to wrap my arm around you and we’re going to continue to walk the way you were going. Don’t look around.”

 

    “Uhm, right,” Melody replied. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they proceeded to walk just like he’d said. After a bit she turned her face up to him. “Am I gonna get an explanation for this?”

 

    “Not really,” Loki replied with a smile, looking down at her fondly as though they were a couple.

 

    “Awesome,” Melody said and slipped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. They walked for a while then she turned to look up at him again. “It’s just that I’m kind of going to meet someone, though; like a date, so...”

 

    “Oh, I’ll be out of your way in a bit,” Loki replied. “And sorry about the... Should’ve figured you had a boyfriend, or...”

 

    “Oh, I don’t,” Melody quickly cut in, “It’s just my cousin’s always trying to set me up with someone, and I don’t have the heart to turn her down.”

 

    “Ah. Family, huh?” Loki said, and Melody giggled.

 

    Loki left her as they turned the corner to reach the café she was heading to, slipping away into the modest crowd after thanking her, though he didn’t tell her what for. Melody shook her head in confusion then put the whole thing from her mind and walked inside the business, locating her date and trying not to let show just how sceptical she was about their chances of getting along.

 

******

 

    About an hour later, Melody was storming down the streets; her hand still tingling from when she’d slapped her ‘date’ and overall feeling like she needed a long scalding-hot shower. She’d tried. She really had. But there was a limit to her patience and, while she may not have the best self-esteem, she drew the line at unwanted groping. And so she left and began to walk around with no real destination in mind to try and clear her head. Ten minutes later she felt calm enough and decided to go back home to vent the rest of her frustration on the soon-to-be unfortunate population of bandits in Skyrim. She had just turned the corner when Loki just barely managed to stop running in time to keep from colliding with her.

 

    “You!” Melody gasped as he backed up half a step.

 

    “Hi, again!” Loki said in a rush then grabbed her hand, “Run!” Without waiting for a reply, Loki continued moving, pulling her with him.

 

    As they weaved through streets and people yelling at them to watch it, Melody was glad to have chosen the shoes she had; she doubted she would have much luck keeping up with her new acquaintance in heels. She had no idea where he was taking her any more than she knew who he was, but if her binge-watching of Doctor Who had taught her anything, it was that when a strange man tells you to run, it’s usually a good idea to listen.

 

    They turned into an alley and Melody had barely registered the sound of a weapon firing before Loki pushed her against the wall and shielded her body with his own. When Loki moved away from her enough she saw their attackers - hooded figures dressed in dark non-descript clothes that would likely blend in wherever they were from - were running towards them, aiming strange weapons with clear intention to fire again.

 

    Loki dug around his coat for a bit before producing a faceted purple crystal about the size of his palm. He looked down at Melody and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her close, then he smashed the crystal against the wall behind her. A swirl of purple and blue smoke burst into life and spread around them before they fell into it and beyond.

 

    When the smoke cleared and Melody dared to peek from Loki’s chest where she’d buried her face, she saw that they were standing in the living room of a large apartment overlooking the city. She took a step back and stumbled before Loki caught her, keeping his hands on her waist and holding her steady.

 

    “Yeah, it’s probably best if you sit down; at least ’til you get used to gravity again,” He said apologetically, helping her over to a couch behind her.

 

    “What... what just happened?” Melody asked when she found her voice again. “Who are you, and where am I?”

 

    “Uh, you want I should answer those in order, or...?” Loki asked, trailing off as she glared at him. “Right. Sorry. Um, I’m Loki; and this is my apartment. Sort of... Currently... It’s, uh... it’s a little complicated.”

 

    “I just got _shot at,”_ Melody snapped and Loki winced, “ _Un_ complicate it.”

 

    “This place exists in a sort of pocket dimension within the outside one you’re used to; so I kind of move it around when I need to,” Loki replied quickly, “And about getting shot at; I... am _really_ sorry about that. I wasn’t exactly expecting to run into you again after that walk, but since I did, I didn’t think it’d be wise to leave you behind; the people following me are not very nice and are very determined to destroy me and anything associated with me. Which unfortunately now means you.”

 

    “So if I go back out there...” Melody began.

 

    “I am really sorry,” Loki said again.

 

    “Figures,” Melody huffed, crossing her arms at her chest and slumping back into the couch. Loki sat down next to her and they shared an awkward silence before she spoke again. “I’m Melody, by the way. You can call me ‘Dee’ but don’t _ever_ call me ‘Mel’.”

 

    “Got it,” Loki replied. More silence followed for a minute before he spoke up. “So... how was your date?”

 

    “Terrible; guy was a self-absorbed hands-y prick,” Melody grumbled.

 

    “That sucks,” Loki said. Another bout of silence followed. “You, uh... play video games? ’Cause I have video games...”

 

    “Do any of them involve zombies and/or explosions?”

 

    “Yes. Yes, they do.”

 

    “Cool.”

 

    And thus they spent the rest of the afternoon; completely forgetting their near-death experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes; I did just copy/paste the first two sentences of this chapter to use as the summary. I hate summaries. So, sue me. XD
> 
> Also, the title of this is a reference, and if you get it I will love you forever with all of my geeky heart.


	2. Chapter 2

    “Soo... you’re the ‘God of Stories’...” Melody said from her spot on the carpet, “What does that even mean?”

 

    It was very late in the night and neither of them quite remembered how they’d ended up on the floor in the middle of Loki’s room, but there they were.

 

    “It’s pretty open to interpretation, honestly,” Loki replied with a shrug, “Used to be ‘God of Lies’, but ‘Stories’ sounds prettier.”

 

    “Right. Can’t argue with that,” Melody sniggered and Loki grinned in response. She looked up at his forehead. “Okay, I gotta ask; what’s with the... That?”

 

    “The... what?” Loki asked confusedly. She raised a hand and poked his headpiece in response. “ _That?_ It just... is. It’s just... mine... What’s wrong with it?”

 

    “Nothing; it’s just... odd.”

 

    “No, it’s not,” Loki said somewhat indignantly.

 

    “It kinda is, though... I never said that was a _bad_ thing, though. It’s... it’s kinda cute.”

 

    “... ‘Cute’... Huh,” Loki said bemusedly. That was a new one. He looked up at the ceiling for a while thoughtfully. “I’ll take it.”

 

    Melody laughed a bit then stared up at the ceiling in thought. Loki glanced at her but said nothing, giving her time to process; she was handling the situation a lot better than he thought she might but he didn’t want to push his luck. He _did_ essentially kidnap her, after all; even if it _was_ to save her life. She had every right to react unfavourably towards him. But she wasn’t... yet.

 

    “So, why exactly am I here? Why are people trying to kill you?” Melody asked after a while.

 

    “Because I screwed up and because I’m me, respectively,” Loki replied. “I wasn’t intending on involving you in my - admittedly terrible - escape plan, but then you looked right at me and I saw an opportunity. Like I said before I didn’t think I’d run into you again, so I didn’t see the harm in using you as a diversion...” He paused and frowned, “And that sounded better in my head...”

 

    “I’ll bet,” Melody deadpanned. She turned over onto her side facing him. “But if they were already looking for you, what good was that idea?”

 

    “Well, they weren’t _looking_ for me, exactly,” Loki explained, “Those guys are blind. They hunt by sensing auras; so, proximity to someone else and the right spell, and you can fool them easily enough.”

 

    Melody hummed in understanding then blinked as a realisation struck her. “Wait, if those things are blind; why the hell did you kiss me?!”

 

******

 

    The next morning Melody awoke to the smell of food and she vaguely wondered how her cousin had gotten into her house before she noticed the bed she was on wasn’t her own. She opened her eyes and looked around disoriented for a moment, and then the events of the previous day came rushing back to her and she threw the covers aside and stormed out of the room.

 

    The moment she walked into the kitchen Loki backed away until he hit the counter and raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t hurt me; I made breakfast!”

 

    “What the hell did you do to me?!” Melody yelled, stopping a cautious foot away from him, fists clenched at her sides.

 

    “Sleeping... spell...” Loki admitted hesitantly then quickly added, “Perfectly harmless; I swear!”

 

    _“Why??”_ She demanded.

 

    “I panicked! You looked like you were about to punch me,” Loki replied sheepishly.

 

    “I was thinking about it!” Melody retorted.

 

    “Hence the panic,” Loki said and Melody glared at him. “Look; I’m sorry. I won’t do it again... Probably... At least not in the next twenty-four hours... Breakfast?”

 

    Melody glared at him for a moment longer then sighed and walked over, taking the plate of eggs with bacon and toast that he offered and going over to the table; Loki followed a little after and sat at the other end then they ate in silence.

 

    Once they were finished Melody placed her hands on her lap and stared at Loki intently. “I still want an answer.”

 

    “Do you have a question to go with that? ’Cause people ask me a lot of things; it gets hard to keep track,” Loki replied with a raised eyebrow.

 

    “Why’d you kiss me?” Melody clarified.

 

    Loki scoffed. “Why _wouldn’t_ I; have you _seen_ you?”

 

    Melody gaped at him slightly, completely taken aback, then stood and quickly left the room, blushing furiously.

 

    Loki walked into the living room some time later and sat down on one end of the couch. He looked over at Melody, who was sitting cross-legged on the other end staring at her hands, and cleared his throat slightly to get her attention.

 

    “I, uh... might have come on a bit strong back there...” He said once she looked up at him.

 

    “Really? I didn’t notice.” Melody replied sarcastically, though her tone wasn’t as sharp as before.

 

    “Meant it, though...” Loki mumbled more to himself. “I really wasn’t intending to kiss you, exactly; I was just going to hug you. No idea when that turned into a kiss,” He added, scratching the back of his head.

 

    Melody sighed after a moment. “Well, to be fair, I did kiss you back.”

 

    “Yeah, you did. Really well, I might add.”

 

    She laughed and looked away with a blush. “Stop.”

 

    “Absolutely not. In fact, I’ll say it again: You are a really good kisser.”

 

    “One thirty-second kiss is hardly enough to judge that!” Melody scoffed.

 

    “Good point,” Loki said then leaned forward with a smirk, “We should fix that.”

 

    Melody blinked. “Wow; I... walked right into that.”

 

    “You did,” Loki agreed, “The offer still stands, though.”

 

    Melody bit her bottom lip in thought for a moment then shrugged and moved closer to him. “Oh, what the hell.”

 

    And that was how she ended up straddling Loki’s lap with her fingers tangled in his hair, his hands on her ass pressing her closer against him as their lips and tongues moved in more-or-less friendly competition for dominance. By the time they parted for air, Loki’s hands had wandered up Melody’s skirt and one of hers had somehow found its way to the waistband of his jeans and undone the button.

 

    “I think... we should... ease up a bit,” She said between pants.

 

    “That’s...” Loki began then leaned his head back on the couch and took a deep breath before continuing, “Probably a good idea.”

 

    “So... draw?” Melody suggested with a slight giggle.

 

    Loki let out a laugh then looked at her. “I can live with that.”

 

    Melody slid off his lap and looked up at him. “So, how long do I have to stay here anyway? Assuming I’m even gonna be able to go home at all.”

 

    “Oh, I’d say... give me a week. Should have this sorted out by then,” Loki replied then stood up, “In fact, I should get started now.”

 

    “Right,” Melody said with a nod.

 

    Loki turned to her. “Is there... anything you need from your house? I could pop in for a minute and get it for you.”

 

    “Well... Be nice to have my laptop,” Melody replied. She looked down at herself and fingered the hem of her skirt. “And something else to wear.”

 

    “Got it,” Loki said then walked away into his bedroom. A while later he came back dressed in what he’d been wearing the previous day. “Back in a bit.”

 

******

 

    Four hours later when Loki returned soaked through to the bone he found Melody - now dressed in the grey long-sleeved sweater and black pleated skirt he’d brought her from her house - sitting in the exact same spot on his couch that he’d left her in, hunched over her laptop and furiously typing away.

 

    “Have you moved at all?” Loki asked bemusedly.

 

    Melody didn’t respond. In fact, she didn’t seem to have even heard him. Loki walked over to her, calling her name, and poked her head. The moment his finger made contact Melody started violently and let out a shriek.

 

    “You know; if you’re trying to kill me there are more efficient ways,” Melody said once she managed to calm her heartbeat back to normal.

 

    “I did try to talk to you; you were really into... whatever it is you’re doing.”

 

    “Yeah, I know. Hyperfocus is a funny thing,” Melody said dismissively. “Probably should’ve asked you to bring my meds from my place.” She then looked him head to toe. “What the heck happened to you?”

 

    “Some people have no sense of humour,” Loki replied vaguely.

 

    “... Right,” Melody said, eyeing him oddly.

 

    “I’ll just...” Loki said gesturing to himself then towards his room. Melody hummed in understanding and he left to dry off and change, grumbling slightly under his breath.


	3. Chapter 3

    A week turned out to not be enough time after all, as the seven day mark came and went with little success in solving the problem. For her part Melody didn’t really mind much; she was a freelance writer so it wasn’t as though she needed to come in for work anywhere, and she genuinely liked Loki’s company when he was there. After their somewhat impromptu make-out session the day after he’d brought her to his place they’d shared a few others, but always stopped before they went any farther than that.

 

    All the while they were getting to know each other better Loki found he liked his guest more and more each day; she was smart, creative, had a great sense of humour, and was open to trying just about every invention he came up with in the kitchen (even after the failed ones). He wouldn’t exactly say they were dating (was anything ever that simple in his life?), but it looked to be heading in that general direction.

 

    Loki walked - well, more like ‘slightly limped’ - into the living room to find Melody curled up on the couch with a controller in her hands, eyes narrowed in concentration as she hacked away at the enemies on the TV screen before her. She noticed him from her peripheral vision and paused the game to look at him.

 

    He opened his mouth to greet her but she interrupted. “Why are you bleeding?”

 

    “I’m... what, now?” Loki asked confusedly before looking down at himself. Sure enough, there was a spreading patch of red soaking through his coat at his side. Loki lifted the fabric away to reveal a crystal-like shard sticking out from between his ribs. “Huh. Didn’t even notice.”

 

    “I’ll get the first aid kit,” Melody said with a sigh.

 

    It had become pretty commonplace for him to come back injured, and at some point (Loki still wasn’t entirely sure how it happened), Melody had become his nurse of sorts. The way she went about it gave him the impression that she never even considered _not_ doing it and he wondered if she’d always been like that or if it was a recent development.

 

    Shedding his upper clothing, he sat down on the coffee table and examined the shard, poking it slightly and wincing as a shock of pain went through him. Clearly, his adrenaline was wearing off. When Melody returned with the kit and sat by him, he grit his teeth, grasped the shard and pulled it free, swearing under his breath. She quickly cleaned the wound as best she could to examine it then searched the kit for a needle and thread to stitch it up while Loki held a steadily soaking towel to it to stem the bleeding.

 

    The moment he saw the needle Loki quickly stood up and backed away a few steps. “Uh-h, there’s really no need for that. Just patch it up; it’ll heal.”

 

    “It’ll heal a lot faster if I stitch it,” Melody replied, standing up.

 

    “No, really; I’m fine,” Loki insisted, eyeing the needle warily.

 

    Melody noticed. “Loki; what’s wrong?”

 

    Loki hesitated for a moment then sighed. “I don’t... exactly have very good... experiences with needles and thread. Thought I was over it. Clearly I’m not,” He admitted reluctantly.

 

    Melody eyed him sympathetically then put the needle away and smiled reassuringly. “Okay then; no needles. I’ll just patch it up.”

 

    “Thanks,” He replied, relaxing (and internally immensely relieved she hadn’t asked for further information), before sitting back down to let her work on him.

 

    Once she was done and everything was tidied up and put away Melody returned to her game, Loki picking up another controller after a while and joining her. They played in relative silence for an hour - with the only conversation being directly related to the game - before stopping for dinner. Afterwards they sat on the couch, with Loki lying across it and half on Melody’s lap, watching a series on Netflix she insisted on showing him ‘so she wouldn’t have to suffer its cancellation alone’. After three episodes, Melody turned it off and turned to look at him, and Loki knew what she was about to ask.

 

    “So...” She prompted as he sat up.

 

    “Not yet,” He replied with a sigh, “This is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be.”

 

    “But you handled those Seeker-things in a week,” Melody said encouragingly.

 

    Loki scoffed. “Not that big of an achievement if I can’t find whoever sent them; you’re still not safe.”

 

    “Is anyone ever?” Melody joked.

 

    “Arguably not, but this one’s on me and I can’t fix it,” Loki said frustratedly, looking away.

 

    “Hey...” Melody began, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face back to hers, “You didn’t know we’d run into each other again; it’s not _entirely_ your fault.”

 

    Loki laughed slightly then leaned forward to kiss her. She responded quickly, leaning into him and deepening it. As Loki ran his tongue over her bottom lip seeking entrance to her mouth, his hand skimmed over her side. His fingers delved under her shirt and Melody stiffened and pulled away suddenly, backing away from him until she was just out of reach. Loki sighed and looked down for a moment before looking back up at her; this had happened before, but this time he was determined to know why.

 

    “That’s the third time you do that, and I’d like to think you don’t think so little of me to expect me to believe it’s out of fear of going too far, too fast,” He said patiently, “So; why?”

 

    Melody looked down. “I’d really rather not,” She mumbled.

 

    “Why not?”

 

    “Because I really like you.”

 

    “Then tell me,” Loki encouraged, “Whatever it is; you can tell me.”

 

    Melody was silent for a long while then she looked up at him hesitantly and he gave her a reassuring smile. After another moment she took a deep breath and began quietly. “When I was thirteen, I... I lost my dad in a fire... He, um... he died s-saving me.”

 

    “I’m sorry,” Loki offered when she hesitated, moving closer to her and taking her hand in his.

 

    She looked at him with watery eyes and a grateful smile then sniffled slightly before continuing. “We were... we were camping in the woods. It was just the two of us, my mom’s always hated camping. It was fun, though; just us. Anyway... We were coming back to our tents after what was _supposed_ to be fishing but was really mostly us just messing around.” She laughed a bit. “All of a sudden we smelled smoke; more than there should be from a campfire. Dad told me to stay put so he could take a look, just to make sure no-one needed help, but after a while I got worried and went looking for him...”

 

    “What happened?” Loki hated to ask, but he needed to know; he also realised she probably didn’t talk about this often and thought it might do her some good to get it out.

 

    “I found him. Or rather, he found me,” Melody replied, wiping at her face with her free hand. “You don’t realise just how fast fire can spread ’til it’s all around you. I tried to get away from it, but I tripped and then a branch fell on me. Dad managed to reach me in time to pull it off me and told me to run. He said he’d be right behind me... He said...”

 

    She broke off with a sob and Loki pulled her to him and wrapped her in a tight hug. He let her cry on his shoulder as long as she needed, and when her sobs finally quieted to sniffles he pulled back and wiped her cheeks dry.

 

    “It wasn’t your fault,” Loki said firmly yet gently.

 

    “I know,” She replied, her voice sounding a bit hoarse, “I know that, I just... have a bit of trouble remembering it sometimes. Especially with...”

 

    “With?” Loki prompted.

 

    Melody hesitated then looked away and slowly pulled up her shirt enough to reveal the scar. “With _this_... as a constant reminder.”

 

    Loki sucked in a sharp breath as he saw it, thinking about how painful - not to mention terrifying - that must have been, and then reached out and gingerly skimmed his fingertips over it. Melody flinched slightly under his touch but didn’t pull away. He moved his hand to cup her chin and turned her face back up to his.

 

    “It wasn’t your fault, and you shouldn’t let that or anyone else make you feel any less beautiful than you are,” Loki said seriously.

 

    Melody blinked at him for a moment then her mouth twitched, as though trying to smile. Loki leaned forward and kissed her softly. When they pulled apart Melody wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a close hug.

 

    “Thank you,” She whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering, the game played was Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (Pojo FTW!) and the series was Firefly (still crying over that).
> 
> And if you've ever read the four-issue, 2010-11 'Loki' comics, you'll know exactly what Loki's issues with needles are...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be perfectly honest; I forgot all about this story. Found it because I was bored and looking through my fic folders. I have no idea where the inspiration for this chapter came from, but I ain't complaining.

    “Your dad... called you ‘Melon’?” Loki asked somewhat bemusedly, looking up at Melody from where he lay across his bed.

 

    “Yeah,” Melody, who was sitting cross-legged with her back against the headboard, replied simply. “He said that most dads called their daughters ‘pumpkin’, but ‘melon’ was closer to _my_ name, so...” She added with a slight shrug.

 

    “That’s...” Loki began, struggling to keep a straight face and not quite succeeding, “That’s actually really cute.”

 

    “Oh, shut up,” Melody replied with a somewhat reluctant smile, pushing her foot against his ribs playfully.

 

    “No, it is!” Loki insisted, laughing slightly now, “It’s adorable.”

 

    _“You’re_ adorable,” Melody retorted childishly, shoving him again.

 

    Loki laughed aloud at that. “Hey, no need to get personal; I was just teasing!” He replied, feigning a look of hurt, and Melody erupted in giggles.

 

    It was two days before New Year’s, and by now it was safe to say that Melody was living with Loki. The problem that had led to their meeting had been solved recently, Loki having ended up reluctantly asking for help, but she quite simply didn’t want to leave and he wasn’t in any hurry to get rid of her. She had begun talking about her father more and more as time passed, explaining that she had gotten used to keeping it all in half because it pained her not to, and because of her mother and half-sister’s resentment of her over the accident. Loki quickly realised they were the only reason she was still self-conscious and made it his mission to cure her of it.

 

    “My cousin wants me to come over for New Year’s,” Melody said after a moment.

 

    “Your cousin with the penchant for setting you up on bad dates?” Loki asked amusedly.

 

    Melody laughed. “That’s the one,” She replied.

 

    “Do you want to go?” Loki asked.

 

    Melody bit her bottom lip. “Well... Kinda...” She replied.

 

    “Do you want to go alone?” Loki asked, already knowing the answer.

 

    “Not really,” Melody replied.

 

    “Then I guess we have plans,” Loki said with a smile.

 

    Melody smiled back then crawled over to him, settling herself comfortably against his side with her head on his shoulder, and Loki draped his arm over her and pulled her closer.

 

******

 

    On the morning of New Year’s Eve Melody got out of bed and quietly tip-toed into the bathroom, where Loki was in the shower humming and occasionally softly singing ‘Seven Nation Army’ as he washed his hair; she stripped and waited until he was facing the shower head to slip in behind him. She leaned up and more-or-less-lightly bit his right shoulder, causing him to start and shout something in asgardian that, even without understanding it, she could tell it was not something used in polite conversation.

 

    “Why??” He asked as he looked at her bemusedly.

 

    “Why not?” Melody asked back with a shrug.

 

    Loki stared at her for a long while. “You’ve been spending entirely too much time with me,” He concluded finally and Melody laughed. “You also _really_ shouldn’t be in here...” He added with a glint in his eyes.

 

    Melody smirked. “And yet...”

 

    Loki hesitated for all of two seconds before pulling towards him by her hips and leaning down to kiss her. She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning up to deepen the kiss, nibbling more-or-less gently at his bottom lip until he parted them to allow her tongue access to his mouth. His grip on her tightened and he stepped forward until her back met the wall; he lifted her and pinned her against the wall with his body, and she responded by wrapping her legs around him, letting out a muffled moan as she felt him pressing against her.

 

    “Not quite how I pictured our first time,” Loki said as they parted for air, lips inches from hers.

 

    “But you’ve pictured it?” Melody asked amusedly with a blush.

 

    “Of course I have; I’m not _dead,_ Melon,” He replied with a grin and she whacked his shoulder lightly even as she giggled.

 

    Her giggles broke off into a moan as he grinded against her and she dropped her head back against the wall. “Obviously not,” She managed.

 

    He kissed her again, his hand sliding up her right side, eliciting a shiver from her, and stopping at her breast, drawing out another moan as he massaged it. She unconsciously tightened her legs around him, making him groan and bite down on her bottom lip a little harder than he intended, though she didn’t seem to mind and tangled her fingers in his hair to pull him closer and deepen the kiss even more. He released her breast and slipped his hand between them to press his thumb on her clit, causing her to break the kiss throw her head back again with a breathless cry; he moved his mouth to her neck and continued stimulating her clit, earning louder moans and gasps.

 

    She suddenly tugged on his hair sharply and he looked up at her flushed face. “Sorry, just... this wall is... _really_ uncomfortable,” She forced out.

 

    He breathed a laugh. “Right.”

 

    He set her down long enough to turn the water off then picked her up again and exited the shower, and walked into the bedroom. There, he set her down on the bed and climbed over her to settle between her legs once more, bracing himself on one arm and cradling the back of her head with his other hand before leaning down to kiss her. His hand moved from her head and down her body, settling between her legs and causing her breath to hitch as he resumed his earlier actions. He slipped a finger into her and her hips moved forward of their own accord to draw him in deeper, causing him to smile and her to pull him down for another kiss to hide her blush.

 

    Before long he pulled his fingers out of her and lined up his cock with her entrance, pushing in slowly, giving her time to adjust to the intrusion; her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth fell open slightly as her senses where flooded with pleasure and the slightest twinge of discomfort at the new experience. He kept his thrusts slow and gentle, his forehead coming to rest on the bed next to her head, his groans and heavy breathing filling her ear. Her hands found their way to his shoulder blades, fingers digging into his skin as moans and near-whimpers tumbled freely from her lips.

 

    It was almost overwhelming when she reached her climax; her whole body was wracked with spasms and she cried out loudly, digging her nails into his shoulders as she threw her head back, a few tears leaking from her eyes as they fell closed. He followed her soon after, the hand on her hip tightening its grip almost painfully and his hips driving into hers unconsciously harder as he chased the feeling for as long as he could, drawing a slight whimper from her as the stimulation began to become too much. Finally he stilled, panting heavily in her ear and struggling to keep his weight off of her; after a while he rolled off to lie beside her.

 

    “Well; that answers _that_ question,” Melody said after a while.

 

    Loki looked over at her curiously. “What question?”

 

    “Why everyone makes such a big deal about sex.”

 

    Loki laughed and rolled atop her again, kissing her deeply. “I’m glad you feel that way,” He said against her lips. “Care for another demonstration?”

 

    “Already??” She half-squeaked in surprise, earning a low chuckle in response.

 

******

 

    Melody couldn’t keep the grin off her face as she got ready for her cousin’s party. The looks Loki was giving her as she pulled on her black lace tights weren’t really helping in that regard, though she hardly minded; they distracted her from the slight soreness between her legs that the... activities that took up most of their day had left her with. The memory brought a blush to her face as she slid into a deep purple A-line dress. She started slightly as she felt Loki’s fingers skimming her back, having not heard him move up to her, and looked up to find a smirk.

 

    “You are very good for my ego, Dee,” He said as he zipped her up, earning an eyeroll.

 

    “Yay; my purpose in life is fulfilled,” She replied sarcastically.

 

    He laughed and leaned down to kiss her cheek before moving back to let her finish. Once her hair and makeup was done and she’d grabbed a few pieces of silver and black jewellery to accessorise, she slipped on a pair of purple three-inch heels and they left for her cousin’s penthouse apartment.

 

    Her cousin, an overly-excited short brunette wrapped in a blue cocktail dress, greeted Melody with a hug, a kiss and a glass of champagne then shamelessly eyed Loki - and the quite frankly ridiculously well-fitting black suit he wore - top to bottom before turning back to her and proclaiming that she approved, earning a blush from Melody and a laugh from Loki.

 

    As the party went on, Melody found herself on the balcony with Loki and her cousin, needing a break from the crowd and the loudness it brought.

 

    “So, how did you guys meet?” Melody’s cousin, Serena, asked.

 

    “I used her to shake off a tail,” Loki replied casually, causing Melody to choke on her drink.

 

    Serena blinked. “What?”

 

    “Not the best of my ideas, but it all worked out,” Loki said with a shrug.

 

    “Hey, Serena; would you mind getting refills?” Melody asked quickly as she saw the foreshadowing of anger on her cousin’s face, snatching Loki’s glass and shoving it and her glass in her direction.

 

    Serena took the glasses on reflex then stared between them for a moment. “Right. I’ll be right back,” She finally said then turned and walked back inside.

 

    As soon as she was gone, Melody turned to Loki and punched his arm. “What the hell’s the matter with you? You can’t just say things like that to my cousin!”

 

    “I figured you wouldn’t want me to lie to your family,” Loki replied far too innocently.

 

    Melody gave him a level stare and he simply smiled in return. When Serena returned she succeeded in steering the conversation away from any unpleasantness for the rest of the evening until Serena was called back inside by another guest. The countdown started soon after and when they reached zero Loki turned to stand before her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a dizzying kiss.

 

    “I love you, Melon,” The words were past Loki’s lips before he was fully aware of them.

 

    Melody’s eyes widened and she gaped slightly. She knew he felt _something_ for her, but she wasn’t quite expecting to hear _those_ words. At least not yet. She took a breath to reply, when she felt a sharp pain in her back then a warmth spread on her belly. She looked down in confusion and saw a dark stain on her dress that was steadily spreading. She only vaguely heard someone scream to her left and saw panic fill Loki’s face before she lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a horrible person, I know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a few hundred words shorter than the previous ones, but it just felt like a good cut off point, ya know?

    It took several tries for Melody to open her eyes, but once she did she found herself staring up at the ceiling of a hospital. She gingerly turned her head slightly to look around and, upon finding her neck was a bit stiff from lack of movement but otherwise fine, turned more. To her right she found Serena sitting on a chair asleep and she cleared her throat a bit to call to her, only for her to awaken with a start and look around blearily before her eyes settled on her on the bed.

 

    “Dee! Oh, thank god!” Serena breathed in relief, standing up and rushing to the bed.

 

    “Thirsty,” Melody rasped.

 

    “Right!” Serena replied then turned, grabbed a glass and filled it from the jug next to it then held it up to her, placing the straw at Melody’s lips, “Here.”

 

    Melody sipped slowly then cleared her throat. “What happened?”

 

    “What happened is you got shot!”

 

    “What?? Why the hell would anyone shoot me?”

 

    “They said it was a stray bullet. Some _asshole_ was shooting up at the sky. Guess they never heard of _gravity,_ the dumbass.”

 

    “Oh. Well, that’s... actually kind of a relief.”

 

    Serena made a distressed sound. “‘A relief’??” She said incredulously, “We almost _lost you,_ Melody!”

 

    At the mention of ‘we’ Melody looked around the room then back at Serena. “Where’s Loki?”

 

    Serena scoffed. “He took off the minute they took you to surgery,” She replied angrily, “Hasn’t come back, or called, or anything.”

 

    “You don’t know him; I’m sure he has a good reason,” Melody replied, tentatively trying to see if she could sit up.

 

    “Oh, yeah; I’m sure he’s _real_ broken up about the whole thing,” Serena said sarcastically, going over to help her.

 

    “How long have I been out?”

 

    “Three days.”

 

    “Then why don’t I feel like I was shot three days ago?”

 

    “How would you know what that feels like? You’ve never been shot before.”

 

    “Well, I imagine I’d be feeling like crap; not just a little bit sore.” Serena looked away and shifted a bit, causing Melody to narrow her eyes at her. “Serena... what aren’t you telling me?”

 

    Serena hesitated then looked towards the closed door nervously and back at Melody. “Well... The doctors said it was bad. Like, really bad.”

 

    “How bad is ‘really bad’?” Melody asked slowly, not sure she wanted the answer.

 

    “... They said you wouldn’t live through the night,” Serena replied at length, “And then you _did._ So, they checked you out and...” She looked at the door again then back, “Dee; you’re almost completely healed. They can’t explain it.”

 

    “I think I can,” Melody said with a sigh, adding mostly to herself, “Oh, Loki; what did you do?”

 

    Serena looked at her oddly. “Loki? He’s not even here; what that could _he_ have done?”

 

    “It’s the fact that he _isn’t_ here that tells me he did something.”

 

    “Dee; just who did you get involved with?”

 

    “That’s a rather long and complicated story,” Loki replied from the door, startling Serena, who whirled around to face him.

 

    “Where the hell have you been?” She demanded angrily, glaring at him.

 

    Loki regarded her with a raised eyebrow then walked over to Melody’s other side and took her hand in his. “How are you feeling?”

 

    “Suspiciously fine,” Melody replied slowly, “What did you do?”

 

    “I talked to an old friend,” He replied vaguely. “You’re sure you’re fine? You’re not in pain?”

 

    “I’m probably on painkillers, but no; just a little sore,” Melody replied and Loki let out a relieved sigh.

 

    “Hey; stop ignoring me!” Serena snapped, causing them to look over at her, “What the hell’s going on?”

 

    “I saved your cousin’s life,” Loki replied somewhat shortly, “You’re welcome.”

 

    Melody whacked his arm. “Don’t snap at her! She’s just worried. I almost died, remember?”

 

    Loki took a deep breath. “Sorry; I’m just... tired. It’s been a long few days.”

 

    “For all of us,” Serena replied pointedly.

 

    “Serena...” Melody warned.

 

    “Sorry!” Serena cried, throwing her hands up. “As far as I knew; he bailed. You’ll forgive me for being a little miffed.”

 

    “You’re right,” Loki acquiesced with a sigh, “I supposed it would look bad for me to have just left without an explanation. It was a time-sensitive issue, and I didn’t even know if it would work; I thought it best not to say anything in case...” He swallowed a bit, “In case it didn’t.”

 

    Serena gave it some thought then crossed her arms at her chest. “Tell you what; buy me coffee and I’ll _think_ about forgiving you.”

 

    Loki breathed a laugh. “Fair enough.”

 

    “Great, we’re all friends again!” Melody said cheerfully, earning laughs, then turned to Serena, “Mind giving us a moment?”

 

    “Yeah, alright,” Serena replied then walked to the door, where she turned around to eye them both warningly, “But no sneaking out without me; I am _not_ explaining that to people.”

 

    “We won’t,” Melody replied with a laugh.

 

    “Better not,” Serena warned then turned and walked out of the room.

 

    When she was gone, Melody turned back to Loki to find him staring at the spot on her stomach where the bullet had been. “Hey,” She said softly, tugging on his hand, and he looked up at her face, “I’m okay.”

 

    “You almost weren’t,” Loki replied, tightening his hold on her hand slightly, “I almost lost you. I don’t like losing people I care about; I don’t exactly have an abundance of those.”

 

    “But you didn’t lose me. And even though I have a feeling I’m gonna want to kick you when I find out just how you accomplished that; thank you.”

 

    He chuckled. “I guess it’s in my best interest to make sure you don’t find out, then.”

 

    She giggled then grabbed the collar of his coat and tugged. “Get over here and kiss me already, idiot.”

 

    “Well, since you ask so nicely,” He replied sarcastically before leaning down and doing just that.

 

    When they parted, Melody stared at him with a small smile. “You said you loved me.”

 

    “Yes, well; if I had known it was gonna get you shot, I’d have kept my mouth shut,” Loki joked, earning a laugh.

 

    “Ah, it was worth it,” Melody replied with a grin, “I mean; I was in shock and then unconscious, so I didn’t feel much, but I _think_ it was worth it.”

 

    Loki breathed a laugh and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. “Let’s not repeat it, all the same.”

 

    Melody giggled lightly. “Fine by me,” She replied. “I love you.”

 

    “I’m glad to hear that; because I’ve just gone through Hel to keep you alive.”

 

    Melody laughed again then paused and leaned back as she remembered something he’d told her. “Wait; what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also; is anybody actually reading/liking this? Because I feel like I'm just tossing this out into the void to die, and that's just bad parenting.


End file.
